Our school-based Unsilence Action Projects follow 8 PHASES through which we train young people to:​1. Identify taboos2. Identify the personal, cultural, and institutional barriers that prevent conversations and solutions3. Explore taboos as human rights4. Research root causes of social problems5. Design interventions6. Implement solutions in their schools and communities7. Evaluate programs and reflect8. Share learning and plan future action

An ExampleUnsilence facilitates a workshop with 9th grade students where they identify “transgender rights” as a taboo issue that is affecting members of their community (different communities identify different issues based on what is prevalent, marginalized, and taboo to them). That same group of students works with Unsilence and their classroom teacher to identify the barriers - personal (e.g., fear of exclusion), cultural (e.g., parents and teachers don’t know how to talk about trans experiences), and institutional (e.g., school doesn’t recognize gender identities of trans students) - that prevent them from talking about transgender rights.

They begin to explore the issue through secondary research that includes interactive, digital Unsilence Learning Experiences and guided reviews of published literature, research, and NGO reports to learn about trans experiences and the root causes of its silencing. Next, students engage in primary research, which includes interviews, surveys, and concept mapping to better understand both the historical and present-day contexts of transgender rights, as well as connections to other human rights issues.

Now, armed with information, agency, and growing skills in having difficult conversations, students design a community-based intervention that serves to unsilence the transgender rights and trans experiences within their community. The students are then ready to implement their solutions (e.g., hosting a weekly lunchtime discussion group with their peers and teachers around trans experiences).

During this entire process, the students and their teachers receive Unsilence Leadership Training, document each phase, reflect on their learning and understanding, and evaluate their challenges and successes. As the students gain comfort with facilitating difficult conversations around taboo issues, Unsilence supports them to sharetheir work with their community through various events and public speaking opportunities.​Our work at Unsilence builds a foundation for young people, educators, and the public to engage and reflect deeply on how they see the world, to develop empathy for others, and to begin personal and collective healing. Above all else, we elevate young people to be informed and engaged citizens who know how to lead.